Bainbridge GA News Commentary and Reading Recommendations

I don't know about you, but I find it kind of unfair that the man's name was given in an article titled 'Accused rapist...' when it was found by the court that he wasn't guilty.

From http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledge...cs/10877008.htm:
 
[The] attorney told WALB-TV that his client had been taking a number of prescription pills for years because of health problems, and a side effect of the medication was impotence.
There also was no physical evidence of rape because the woman waited eight days to report it, Murrah said.
"He cried," he said. "He did not like to tell the world about his condition."
[The man] and his accuser were both married to other spouses and attended the same church. They had been having an affair that did not involve sex for a couple years, and when [the man] tried to break it off, the woman responded by accusing him of rape, Murrah said.

One could also question the term 'affair' if sex was not involved. (Why not call it an 'intimate friendship'?)
 
Usually I'm on the side of the 'victim' when I read about court cases, but this outrages me. The circumstances seem highly dubious. I don't think the man deserved this kind of public humiliation.
 
Maybe he can take comfort in the fact that the majority of men his age could use the same defense... or why would pharmaceutical companies clog our airwaves with all these commercials for 'enhancing the quality of the experience'?!

09:53 AM   

The House votes on Thursday on a bill that would cap jury awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases at $250,000; up to $750,000 if multiple defendants are liable.

From http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/le.../09legdocs.html:
 
The legislation has traveled a lightning-fast path. A House committee approved the caps last week, in the wake of earlier Senate passage of similar legislation. Consumer groups and trial lawyers say it would keep victims from being justly compensated and discourage attorneys from accepting cases.(...)

Because of rising premiums, some ob-gyns have given up delivering babies and offer only gynecological services. One large DeKalb County ob-gyn practice recently dissolved after its malpractice premiums doubled.(...)
A 2004 survey by the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society found 165 of the 1,100 ob-gyns in Georgia have stopped or will stop delivering babies or will leave their practices, measuring from 2002 to this year.(...)
Bainbridge ob-gyn Don Robinson and a partner stopped delivering babies a year ago. Their malpractice premiums were rising 30 percent a year, he says. "To see the income go to the insurance company, it was wearing us down for no reason,'' Robinson says. Some patients now drive 45 minutes to Thomasville and Donaldsonville to find an obstetrician, he says.
Robinson misses obstetrics. "Being an OB doctor, you really share intimacy with your patients,'' Robinson says. "They trust you; you develop a bond with them.''
The average premium for an ob-gyn in 2004 was $68,299, a 72 percent increase from 2000, according to MAG Mutual Insurance Co., which insures most physicians in Georgia. Yet that's not as large an increase as other specialties, such as radiologists.

This is a hugely important issue. Make sure to check out the whole (long) article.
 
It really is amazing to think that e.g. a radiologist will only get a few dollars per mammogram reading, when there is the potential in EACH case that he/she will get sued for millions for missing signs of breast cancer. Would you want to do that job?
 
Ob/gyns are in the same boat. Births have a relatively high inherent risk, and if something goes wrong - just for a few seconds - a baby can be damaged for life. Juries consist of everyday people, not medical professionals, and they tend to take side with the victims. Doctors have a profession where no misjudgement is allowed.
 
On the other hand, if your child goes blind through the careless mistake of your family doctor, is $250K enough for pain and suffering?
 
Any way this bill goes, you know that someone's life will be unfairly, adversely affected.

06:57 AM   

Alabama attorneys are claiming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is illegally storing water for Georgia, and causing harm downstream.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsi...id=439676&rfi=6:
 
That put the dispute over the Alabama, Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers back in court.
"The corps has made repeated decisions to sacrifice water quality, hydropower, navigation, downstream recreation, fish and wildlife during times of low flow in order to give undue preference to upstream recreation and water supply," the complaint states.(...)
The state sued the Corps in 1990 over the use of rivers that begin in Georgia and flow to Alabama and Florida. The Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint river system is also part of the suit.
North Georgia interests (...) state they need additional water to handle population growth. Downstream interests, including the cities of Eufaula, Columbus, Ga, and Bainbridge, Ga, state if Georgia receives the amount of water it desires, downstream cities would suffer. (...) According to The Birmingham News, Alabama claims about 25 endangered species of fish, mussels and snails could suffer from "illegal management of the reservoirs." The state also claims downstream residents may pay higher electricity bills because the Corps holds water that is needed for hydropower.

Essential reading for all residents of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. It's a tough call: who owns how much of a natural resource that flows freely across state lines?
 
What do you think? Leave your comments below.

07:55 AM   

A Bainbridge Sportswriter suffers a heart attack in Andalusia and writes about his experience of medical treatment in Andalusia and Dothan.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...0&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
I was there for the start of the day, but by about 8:30 a.m., I was having chest pains that weren’t due to acid reflux, however much I wanted them to be. That was the high point of the day, as everything else was downhill.
I was rushed to the ER, and for a small town, it wasn't a bad one. They worked on me, at least the nurses did. The males worked, but asked what we were having at the show. They were quite interested in the hunting and fishing equipment that we were bringing to town. (...)
I had three shots of morphine, a few of those tablets that go under your tongue and was loaded in an EMS vehicle (...) for the ride to Dothan.
The doctor I had was about an ax-handle-and-a-half wide across the shoulders and an outdoorsman. (...) [T]hey hacked my chest open and looked at it. Took pictures also.

A very important (and funny) article that everyone should read. It's soo important to get yourself to a hospital asap when you're having chest pains! (Women should also be aware that they might have atypical symptoms of a heart attack and might not have the typical chest pains.)
 
I'm really glad that the reporter had the courage (and humor) to write this. It might save someone's life.

08:31 AM   

He's leaving us for California??! Traitor! ;-)
 
... Just kidding of course!

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...2&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Dr. Clifford M. Brock, president of Bainbridge College since March of 1999, will leave to take the job of president of Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA, in March. (...)
In Brock’s five years as BC president, enrollment of the college has more than doubled. Currently there are approximately $23 million in building projects in progress or approved by the Georgia Board of Regents.(...)
Chancellor Meredith also announced Friday the appointment of Dr. Sherman Day as interim president.(...)
"My wife and I have enjoyed Bainbridge College and Southwest Georgia immensely. But, the opportunity in California was just too good to pass up," Brock said. "Barstow has a small-town feeling, and that's important to Mid and me."

Admit it - Bainbridge is not small enough for you anymore now that it's growing by leaps and bounds ;-) Oh well.

09:03 AM   

A great way to explore the treasures of Bainbridge's history. WALB's article mentions the Erlich-Immendorf house as an example.

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=2398124&nav=5kZQRj3c:
 
About eight years ago, Robert and Pam Immendorf were ready to retire and move from San Francisco. They looked for a vintage home in the southeast and fell in love with this one.
This home was built in 1898, but some parts such as doors and mantles were saved from an even older home that burned. This house was the first in Bainbridge that had electricity and a telephone.

Great to see how many people care about preserving a city's history. Side thought: from San Francisco to Bainbridge? That must've been a culture shock...

08:34 AM   

A bit of local trivia: The old school was built in the 1950's.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsi...id=387472&rfi=6:
 
"I love the new school, and the students are excited too. They love the color-coded tiles and the new playground," said [third-grade teacher D. Wells].
Construction CGM bid successfully in July 2003 to build the facility for $7.13 million, and the groundbreaking was held the following Aug. 28. At first construction was on schedule for completion in July 2004, but frequent bad weather and unanticipated problems with some supplies delayed the project, the final inspections and the finish work, until it was clear the new school would not be ready when school opened on Aug. 6. [Students began the school year in the old school and made] the move over to the new school later in the semester.

Great to see it finished! This is so exciting for teachers and students. A lot of parents took their first look at the newly finished school when they dropped off their kids.

06:37 AM   

This sounds terrible. Hopefully he'll be okay.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...6&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
The man (...) was putting a tarp over a cotton module builder, said Lt. Kenny King of Decatur County Fire and Rescue. Cotton module builders are machines used to pack cotton bolls together into large rectangle bundles. The tarp got caught on a lever on the machine, the lever was depressed and the machine then packed him into cotton already inside the cage-like module builder. (...) When rescue workers arrived, they saw Eguia laying face-down in the machine. He was bleeding from his ears and mouth.

It's tragic. Accidents with heavy machinery can happen in a heartbeat. Our prayers go out to him.

09:30 AM   

Here are two life choices to choose from. 1: At 18, working at McDonald's to pay your way through college (good). 2. At 18, breaking and crawling through a McDonald's drive-through window and setting the place on fire (bad).
 
Another young person who tainted his life through crime. Hopefully, he'll sober up soon. Some time in jail might do the trick.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...8&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
J. Thomas, 18, was arrested Friday night and charged with burglary and arson (first degree), which occurred Sept. 1, according to a Bainbridge Public Safety news release. He was also charged with the July 14 burglary of McDonald’s, as well as a burglary that occurred Friday at Landmark Apartments.(...)
Investigators were led to Thomas after someone anonymously gave his name to the Georgia Arson Hotline operated by the office of Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine. They also received a tip Friday that Thomas was attempting to pawn items that had been reported as stolen from Landmark Apartments.

Eventually, he might be able ask the age-old question himself: "You want fries with that?"

06:52 AM   

Lots of earth being moved... landscaping to replace natural grown trees... the old Rich building will be torn down... the Trinity Church buildings will move south.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsi...id=387472&rfi=6:
 
Construction of the 184,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter on Alice Street is scheduled to begin June 15. (...) People who regularly traverse the roads around the 40-acre Wal-Mart Shopping Center site have seen major changes take place on the corner of Highway 27 and Alice Street. (...)
The whole top of the hill where the Trinity Baptist Church once sat is being lowered eight feet by Oxford Construction Company to fit in with Wal-Mart’s design for its 183,885-square-foot Supercenter.

It's mind-boggling to think about what it will look like, in one or two years' time.

06:23 AM   

Huh??!

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...3&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Willie J. Flowers Jr. (...) was changing a flat tire about 1 a.m. Saturday on the side of Bert Phillips Road when two men stopped their car, approached and asked if they could help him. After the spare tire was on and Flowers had thanked the men, one of them pulled out a gun and demanded Flowers’ wallet.
The two men then left in their car, which Flowers told sheriff’s officers he thought was a dark-colored Chevrolet Monte Carlo from the late 1970s or early 1980s. Flowers described the men as being of medium height, in their early to mid-30s and told officers what they were wearing.
Flowers told officers his denim wallet contained $80 in cash, credit cards, business cards, a driver’s license and Social Security and insurance cards.

I can't imagine. From Good Samaritan to Good Barbarian.

07:57 AM   

Great article about a resident of Bainbridge, his past as a former prisoner of war, etc. Very educational and uplifting.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...7&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Those who have read Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, have been introduced to “ordinary” men and women who rose to the demands of the times and performed “extraordinary” deeds while in military service of World War II. (...) It’s too bad Brokaw never met Jim Stone, for he surely would have rated a chapter in the book.
How did a young man who grew up during the Great Depression on a dairy farm in Virginia, going fishing and swimming in mill ponds, go off to the “big one” and come back to make his place in Bainbridge?
Most anyone who knows Mr. Jim has heard his famous saying, “I’m not from Bainbridge, but I got here as quick as I could.”

He sounds like a truly good and caring man. His profile in the Post-Searchlight is very enjoyable.

08:29 AM   

Interesting article. First Wal-Mart... what big chain store is next?

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsi...id=387472&rfi=6:
 
A plan is scheduled to be delivered to City Hall for a 100,000-square-foot retailer with a 30,000-square-foot garden center. Developers Tuesday declined to release the name of the proposed mega retailer yet.
(...) Jeff Kelly, territory business manager for The Buxton Company, a retail consulting company whose headquarters is in Dallas, was a recent visitor to Bainbridge
(...) Through a process called psychographics, the company does an in-depth analysis of the people who live in a specific marketing area.

The article provides interesting details about the work of consultants who are 'location scouts' for new large retail stores.

07:50 AM   

Get out there!

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...5&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
June 7-11: YMCA British Soccer Camp. - June 20: Migrant Summer health program begins.
 
July 4: Independence Day celebration, Performing Arts Building and Earle May Boat Basin. - July 11: Dixie Region Sports Car Club of America's autocross, Commodore Decatur Industrial Park. July 12-16: Decatur County School Choice Week. - July 20: Statewide Primary Election. - July 23: Benefit golf tournament for the Humane Society, Bainbridge Country Club.
 
Aug. 1: Dixie Region Sports Car Club of America's autocross, Commodore Decatur Industrial Park. - Aug. 1-15: YMCA Fall Youth Sports registration (Soccer-Football-Cheerleading).
 
Aug. 6: Decatur County Schools start.

Let's all enjoy the summer. Keep it safe around the pool, when burning stuff in your yards, and while driving.

08:47 AM   

Anyone wearing a Larry Byrd jersey around here?!

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...2&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Three sports jerseys and two women's jersey dress combos were found missing from the front windows of AG&A Fashion Connection located on West Street on Sunday when a co-owner of the business returned Sunday and discovered the items missing.

One Larry Byrd jersey valued at $270, one $270 Michael Jordan jersey, one $175 Lebron James jersey, a Boston Celtics and a 76'ers jersey dress combo, each valued at $65, were taken, according to Alvin Charles Byrden.

According to the store owner, no forced entry into the store was noted.

09:31 AM   

Worth the read, if you like fishing or hunting, or are just concerned with the recent drought and the effects on local rivers and lakes.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...8&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
We not only need the rain locally for crops and area ponds, but we also need it for the middle and upper parts of the state to get a lot of rain so that the runoff will flow down the rivers and keep the water levels up.
(...) Turkey season has been going rather well, also. I was afraid that the weather had been too warm for too long before the season, but that doesn't seem to be the case so far.

08:54 AM   

It sounds like she already has the voice and determination - now she just needs a lucky break. Or two, or three.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...9&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Thanks to the encouragement and financial assistance of friends, Ruby Glenn will be attending the Babbie Mason Ministries Music Conference International in Norcross on May 20-22.
(...) She recalls when she was 10 years old, she heard Christian music artist Sandi Patty sing The National Anthem. She told her mother then, “That's what I want to do. I want to sing like that.”
(...) A copy was also sent to Glenn's idol, Sandi Patty. Ruby says she was pleased when Patty sent her best wishes for success.

CD's can be ordered by phone (246-3838)

09:02 AM   

The Post-Searchlight features a great article on the local Humane Society speaking at the Chamber of Commerce's breakfast program.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsi...id=387472&rfi=6:
 
“Just because it's April Fools today, don't think I'm kidding. One female and one male cat and their offspring can result in 420,000 kittens in seven years,” said Blaine Palmer, treasurer of the local Humane Society, which was formed two years ago
(...) As co-chair of the fund-raising committee, Palmer said two Christian rock bands are donating their time and proceeds from a benefit concert at Bainbridge College April 17, 8-11 p.m., and on July 23 there will be a benefit golf tournament at Bainbridge Country Club.

Volunteers are needed at the Humane Society. So drop on by if you would like to help by walking dogs, washing pens or dishes, and keeping the animals company for a while. Also, donations of leashes, collars or food are very welcome.

09:23 AM   

Somebody is way too bored. Or stupid. Or both.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...5&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Several incidents of damage to vehicles parked at the woodyard near the Hutto-McIver Apartments have been reported recently to Bainbridge Public Safety officers.
(...) Several incidents of damage to vehicles parked at the woodyard near the Hutto-McIver Apartments have been reported recently to Bainbridge Public Safety officers.
(...) Someone had broken and torn out the tail lights on all of the trailers and had let the air out of some of the truck tires by jamming sticks into the tire valves.
Both McMillan and Adams told the officer that the damage to the vehicles has been an ongoing problem for several weeks.

Get a life.

08:58 AM   

Too many of these beautiful creatures are treated with cruelty, even though they pose little threat to humans.

From http://www.citizenonline.net/citizen/arc...B9729880522.asp:
 
Bruce Means remains fond of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, even though two of the venomous reptiles have bitten him, once almost fatally.
As one of the nations leading diamondback experts, Means knows that some people will always be uneasy about snakes. He just wishes they would leave them alone.
Means is among a group of environmentalists and animal-rights activists trying to convince sponsors of the nations 28 rattlesnake roundups that the events revile snakes, doom them to cruel treatment and contribute to their decline.
(...) Often portrayed as lethal bushwhackers, diamondbacks are actually passive creatures that rarely move or rattle. Instead of deadly fangs, they usually rely on good camouflage and stillness to avoid contact with humans.
(...) Wildlife biologists say habitat loss is the leading threat to diamondbacks and the ecosystems other creatures. But rattlesnake roundups also contribute to the decline, they say.

I bet if all rattlesnakes were gone, they would be missed even by those who relentlessly hunt and kill them.

07:21 AM   

Not the smartest criminals...

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...8&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
(...) Sheriff's deputies arrested two men Wednesday at the Hutto-McIver Apartments after observing them engaged in drug activities.
(...) According to a report by narcotics Agent Chip Nix, he and narcotics Agent Garrett Williams were surveying drug activity in and around the housing project when they observed Griffin walk near the No. 11 building, look around, then place an object on the ground under some leaves close to an apartment porch. The agents said Griffin then walked to a neighboring porch and sat down.
(...) Griffin was taken into custody and the object he had concealed under the leaves turned out to be a tic-tac container holding several pieces of suspected cocaine.

Watch out next time someone buries their trash a bit too carefully.

09:42 AM   

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...6&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
March
March 25-26, Mayor's Retreat, Lake Blackshear, Cordelle, Ga.
March 26-27: Rotary Club-High School Team Tennis Tournaments.
March 27: Attapulgus Dogwood Festival.
April
April 4: Dixie Region Sports Car Club of America's autocross, Commodore Decatur Industrial Park.
April 5-9: Spring Break.
April 20-23: 4th Annual Georgia Cities: The Heart and Soul of Georgia bus tour.
April 21: Heart and Soul will be in Bainbridge.
April 23-25: Bainbridge NTRP Adult Tennis Tournament.
April 24: Kiwanis Dog Show.
April 26: Qualifying begins for various local offices, 9 a.m.
April 30-May 1: Relay for Life, BHS Track.
May
May 9: Dixie Region Sports Car Club of America's autocross, Commodore Decatur Industrial Park.
May 11: Decatur County-Gilbert Gragg Library Foundation and Friends of the Library, board meeting, meeting room in library, 5 p.m.
May 15: Chamber sponsored festival.
May 25: Last day of School.
May 27: Graduation.

From the Post-Searchlight. Support your local community by checking out the various activities during the year! It's so much more fun than watching TV.

07:26 AM   

A lesson learned:

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...4&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
(...) According to Sheriff's Deputy Cpl. Rick Ashley, the property owner, Rhudell Thomas, 80, of 156 Florence Drive, was burning some household garbage in a burn barrel located approximately 100 yards behind her residence when sparks set the surrounding grass afire. Stiff winds quickly sent the flames out of control across the property
(...) Early arriving units were able to extinguish the grass fire near a fence line, but by the time additional county firefighting equipment arrived, several of the mobile homes were afire.
(...) Emphasizing that use of a burn barrel for household garbage is illegal, Ashley issued a written warning citation to Thomas.

According to the article, Thomas agreed not to burn any more garbage, but to arrange to have her garbage picked up by a commercial sanitation service. A firefighter stated that they had responded to fire calls at the site on previous occasions.

09:55 AM   

I wouldn't have had the courage

From http://www.timesenterprise.com/articles/.../news/news2.txt:
 
Officers with the Thomasville Police Department are searching for a man who attempted to hold up a Dollar General store Wednesday, an attempt that was foiled by one of the store's employees.

I probably would've told him: take as much of the merchandise as you can carry.

07:50 AM   

"Look Mom, I just got a Michael Jordan tattoo on my leg!"

From http://www.timesenterprise.com/articles/...ports/sport.txt:
 
Baldur Olafsson grew up adoring Michael Jordan. He displays his adoration on his right leg, which features a tattoo of Jordan skying toward a basket.
(...) Olafsson, who plays for the Cairo Syrupmakers, hopes his game can match that of the world's greatest player. The native of Iceland has been a foreign exchange student at Cairo High School since August.
(...) Olafsson's interest in basketball was sparked when he was in the fifth grade. Several years passed before the had the famed Jordan logo etched on his leg, however.
(...) "That happened on my 16th birthday," Olafsson said. "It was a birthday present from my mom and dad."
(...)
c:Oh, so it was a present from his parents. That explains it. "We have a lot of American influence in Iceland," he said. Obviously... (Ed. note: Now please will you excuse me, while I get a tattoo of Bjork on my leg.)

Oh, so it was a present from his parents. That explains it. "We have a lot of American influence in Iceland," he said. Obviously... (Ed. note: Now please will you excuse me, while I get a picture of Bjork tattooed on my behind.)

06:22 AM   

Is it just me, or should people really stop burning trash in their yard?

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...1&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Orie L. Jakes, 62, of a Jacksontown Road address, told police she was burning trash in her yard when she suddenly heard a loud explosion and felt something hit her in the side. She and her husband, who was nearby, said the noise sounded like a .22-rifle shot.
(...) Jakes was taken by her husband to the emergency room, where a doctor said it appeared that the projectile was approximately 2 inches below the skin above the hip. He said it would be removed surgically.
(...) Sheriff's deputies checked the area about the burn pile. At the edge of the burn pile they found an intact .22 long cartridge, and theorized that another cartridge had accidentally been placed in the fire and exploded from the heat, striking the victim in the side.

From recent news, one can tell it keeps local law enforcement, firefighters, and medical personnel busy.

07:00 AM   

As reported by a pet owner on Newton Road:

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...1&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
(...) she found her pregnant bulldog dead in the fenced kennel behind her house. She said the dog, a favorite pet, had been shot twice in the side and once in the head, and it appeared that the animal had dragged itself across the kennel yard after being shot.

No matter what you think of bulldogs, no creature should have to die like that.

08:37 AM   

What a shame. For a church parking lot? These houses deserve to be preserved.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...4&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
(...) Yet another landmark located in Bainbridge's residential historic district bit the dust when a house located at 401 S. Broad St., built around 1907, was recently torn down to make room for parking behind the First Presbyterian Church.
(...) After the house was demolished, the rubble was carried to the Decator County landfill.
(...) Currently, there is nothing in the City of Bainbridge's zoning ordinance to stop demolition or alteration of homes or businesses located in the city's historic commercial and residential districts, said Amanda Glover, Main Street director.

On our recent travels through many towns in the Southeast, we've seen how much difference it makes, if a town takes pride in its history and works on preserving its character, or if history erased by bulldozers. Sadly, once it's gone, it's gone forever.

06:23 AM   

From the Post-Searchlight:

From http://www.zwire.com/site/News.cfm?BRD=2...5&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
On Jan. 5, Adell Phillips of an Antioch Church Road address told Public Safety officers that her purse had been stolen while she was shopping in Harvey's. She said while she was bagging some items to purchase, the bag burst and the items fell to the floor. She stooped to retrieve the items, and when she straightened up, she discovered her purse gone
(...) Some time later, Phillips was notified by Regions Bank that someone cashed a $300 check in her name. The female attempting to cash the check was unsuccessful inside the bank, but went to the drive-in window, where the check was cashed for her.

Low-life a-ho$$s.

08:45 AM   

The deputy said that a vehicle driven by Henry Hershel Donalson, 75, of 104 Wilsontown Road, Bainbridge, ignored the flashing warning lights and crashed into the railroad arm at a high rate of speed.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/News.cfm?BRD=2...5&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
Wilson narrowly missed hitting the police officer as he traveled about 200 feet before coming to a halt.
(...) Wilson escaped serious injury, but his vehicle was heavily damaged, as was the railroad crossing arm. He reportedly told investigating officers that he did not notice the flashing lights and "just was not paying attention." No charges were made.

Not paying attention?

08:25 AM   

Great to see people making the effort to preserve Georgia Cities' "Heart and Soul." Bainbridge has (still) a lot of it, as you can see in our photo gallery!

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...4&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
The Georgia Cities "Heart and Soul Tour" scheduled to be in Bainbridge on April 21 was discussed at the Thursday Downtown Development Authority meeting. One of the projects to be viewed by the tour group of approximately 50 persons will be the Firehouse Center and Gallery on West Water Street.
(...) "The bus tour group are members representing foundations that, hopefully, will be putting money into downtown," Chairman Roslyn Palmer said. "They've already put money into a lot of downtown projects and they participate through the Georgia Cities Foundation, which is part of the Georgia Municipal Association."
(...) The group will tour three downtown projects, including the Bon Air, the city's Water Street project and the Firehouse. Palmer said they want to see projects that have been completed and one that is a work in progress. If any of the foundations take kindly to a project, they may want to help them out, she said.

08:46 AM